Nigeria  has integrity deficit – Ex- Diplomat, Toyo insists 

From Ene Asuquo, Calabar 

A former Nigeria Ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti, Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo has said that Nigeria has integrity deficit as institutional authorities are not being in place 

The former Diplomat in her lecture titled, “Service With Integrity” during the 21st Bassey Andah memorial lecture in Calabar organized by Bassey Andah Institute for African and Asian Studies, University of Calabar in collaboration with Bassey Andah memorial foundation in Calabar 

Toyo said,  why integrity in Nigeria is suffering is because the society itself is totally taken over by tendencies that are directly opposite to integrity.

She said Something is subverting integrity which does not allow it to be what it should be, adding that in the end, we live in a country where increasingly we are creating a new generation of young people who do not even understand what it is to have integrity.

She noted that without integrity, a country cannot grow, such a country do not have standards, and they cannot have accountability. 

According to him, “You cannot have transparency, You cannot  question  things, People do things anyhow because everybody accepts anyhow”, She said.

The former law maker maintained that  the whole idea of a learning environment in our university is not just about lecturing and having the academic knowledge, maintaining that It’s also about having the character knowledge.

She emphasized that a University environment should embody a lot of things. “When we send children to the university, it’s about a learning l that goes beyond the textbook to becoming a holistic person”.

Toyo said already we are suffering at all levels because the society does not challenge these type of issues. And then impunity has taken over the country.

She stressed that the more we accommodate these tendencies, the more they become the norms. And when this happens,  then  it’s much more harder to build and push back.she maintained.

“That’s why I say integrity has to fight back. If integrity does not fight back, it becomes a no-issue”.

“where there are leaders who have integrity, let’s step forward and put them forward. And see whether we can begin to recover some of the time and the grounds that we have lost”.

Lack of integrity makes somebody to promise what he or she cannot fullfil. “they continue to tell us lies.

The president said if he doesn’t give us light, we shouldn’t vote for him. And today he’s trying to make light a no-issue”. 

Toyo stressed that Competence, capacity and character, If people don’t have it, they shouldn’t lead.

She stressed  further that Integrity is delivering honest, transparent, and ethical service that builds trust and fosters long-term vision and does not focus on transaction.

According to her, “this is why I believe that integrity is a character, not a skill. It is also a trait that religion, educational institutions, communities, and families still play a role in enhancing integrity”. We need to now ask our religious 

“Service, for me, simply means choosing to do the right thing almost regardless of the circumstances.

When no one is watching, when there’s no reward, when there’s no recognition in public, when there’s no applause, and when there’s no reward, that is integrity”.she stressed